Ukraine: Boris Johnson says Putin threatened him with missile strike - BBC

Boris Johnson has said Vladimir Putin threatened him with a rocket onslaught successful an "extraordinary" telephone telephone successful the tally up to Russia's penetration of Ukraine.

The then-prime curate said Mr Putin told him it "would lone instrumentality a minute".

Mr Johnson said the remark was made aft helium warned the warfare would beryllium an "utter catastrophe" during a "very long" telephone successful February 2022.

Details of the speech are revealed successful a BBC documentary, examining Mr Putin's interactions with satellite leaders.

Mr Johnson warned Mr Putin that invading Ukraine would pb to Western sanctions and much Nato troops connected Russia's borders.

He besides tried to deter Russian subject enactment by telling Mr Putin that Ukraine would not articulation Nato "for the foreseeable future".

But Mr Johnson said: "He threatened maine astatine 1 point, and helium said, 'Boris, I don't privation to wounded you but, with a missile, it would lone instrumentality a minute' oregon thing similar that. Jolly.

"But I deliberation from the precise relaxed code that helium was taking, the benignant of aerial of detachment that helium seemed to have, helium was conscionable playing on with my attempts to get him to negotiate."

President Putin had been "very familiar" during the "most bonzer call", Mr Johnson said.

It is intolerable to cognize if Mr Putin's menace was genuine.

However, fixed erstwhile Russian attacks connected the UK - astir precocious successful Salisbury successful 2018 - immoderate menace from the Russian leader, nevertheless lightly delivered, is astir apt 1 Mr Johnson would person had nary prime but to instrumentality seriously.

Nine days later, connected 11 February, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace flew to Moscow to conscionable his Russian counterpart, Sergei Shoigu.

The BBC documentary Putin Vs the West reveals Mr Wallace near with assurances that Russia would not invade Ukraine, but helium said some sides knew it was a lie.

He described it arsenic a "demonstration of bullying oregon strength, which is: I'm going to prevarication to you, you cognize I'm lying and I cognize you cognize I'm lying and I'm inactive going to prevarication to you.

"I deliberation it was astir saying 'I'm powerful'," Mr Wallace said.

He said the "fairly chilling, but nonstop lie" had confirmed his content that Russia would invade.

As helium near the meeting, helium said Gen Valery Gerasimov - Russia's main of wide unit - told him "never again volition we beryllium humiliated".

Less than a fortnight later, arsenic tanks rolled implicit the borderline connected 24 February, Mr Johnson received a telephone telephone successful the mediate of the nighttime from President Zelensky.

"Zelensky's very, precise calm," Mr Johnson recalled. "But, helium tells me, you know, they're attacking everywhere."

Mr Johnson says helium offered to assistance determination the president to safety.

"He doesn't instrumentality maine up connected that offer. He heroically stayed wherever helium was."

Putin Vs the West volition beryllium broadcast connected Monday 30 January connected BBC 2 astatine 21:00, and volition beryllium disposable connected the iPlayer successful the UK.